The Protestant Reformation began in the early 16th century and was a religious, political and cultural movement aimed at denouncing the corruption of the Catholic Church. It all began in Germany with Martin Luther and his 95 Theses. Luther didn't like some of the things the Catholic Church did, such as selling indulgences and being the intermediaries between God and the people. Therefore, Luther published his 95 Theses, which represented changes to the way the church operated. Luther never wanted or expected it to become a great religious revolution against the Church, rather he simply wanted the Church to make the changes. Regardless of Luther's intentions, the Protestant Reformation had significant short- and long-term causes and consequences for Western civilization. The 95 Theses ultimately were perhaps the greatest long-term cause of the Reformation: the Catholic Church became increasingly recognized, but above all greedy. During the Renaissance the church spent so much money on art that it used indulgences to cover all purchases. Priests and people in the church hierarchy began living lavish lifestyles during the Renaissance and became greedy. This then led to Martin Luther's 95 Theses and ultimately the Protestant Reformation. Of course, when a religion becomes world famous, someone will sooner or later find a flaw in the system, and this is what Luther and his reformers did. The Catholic Church did not help their cause by becoming greedy and trying to cover their losses. Another important long-term cause was the humanists' call for a simpler and less corrupt religion. Finally, the emergence of strong national monarchs was a major cause of the Protestant Reformation. Many of these long-term causes of the Protestant Reformation led to serious and impactful consequences for the West